BWG 4B – Grasslands

Sub-working group of BWG 4 – Drylands

1. Introduction & Objectives

Grasslands occur in a wide variety of environments. They include tropical grasslands (savannas), temperate grasslands (including the European and Central Asian steppe and North American prairie), boreal grasslands (tundra’s) and mountainous grasslands (such as the Latin American Paramo highlands). The large variation in the specific characteristics of grasslands means that the specific services provided vary widely between individual grassland ecosystems. However, one provisioning service stands out as a key service provided in almost all grasslands: providing feed for livestock keeping. Other services provided by grasslands include carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, watershed regulation and the provision of opportunities for recreation and tourism.

Objective: The objective of the Grassland Working Group is to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to exchange information and discuss ideas and experiences on Assessment of Ecosystem Services provided by the various types of grasslands and make the information available to a wider community of users.